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For a one-off capture, Chrome Headless can take a screenshot from a single command. For a repeatable workflow with full-page or element captures, formats and browser choices, use Playwright CLI. If you prefer Python, shot-scraper is another command-line option. All three capture a rendered page in a browser; they do not simply save the website’s original HTML.
The commands and options below follow the cited documentation checked on September 29, 2026. Browser and operating-system requirements change, so verify the current documentation and command help for the versions you install.
Choose a command-line screenshot method
| Method | Best fit | Setup and browser | Capture controls established in the cited documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playwright CLI | Repeated captures, browser choice, and control over capture scope or output | Install its npm CLI and browser runtime. The CLI reference lists Chrome, Firefox, WebKit and Edge. | Viewport, full page or element; PNG, JPEG or WebP; custom filename; high-resolution capture. |
| Chrome Headless | A quick capture with Chrome and a bounded wait | Invoke Chrome’s headless command-line flags. | Screenshot flag and a maximum wait timeout. The timeout does not guarantee that dynamic content is ready. |
| shot-scraper | A Python-oriented command-line workflow | Install with pip, then install its browser separately. | The cited quick start shows capturing a URL to a PNG; the source is version 0.14 and should not be treated as current option documentation. |
For Playwright, start with the official CLI guide and screenshot reference. For Chrome flags, consult Chrome’s Headless command-line reference. The shot-scraper 0.14 documentation is useful as a versioned quick start, not a guarantee about the current release.
Use Playwright CLI for repeatable captures
Playwright CLI uses a browser session: open a page, then capture it. The documented global installation is npm install -g @playwright/cli@latest. Browser installation is a separate part of the setup workflow; follow the current CLI guide for the browser you intend to use.
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- Install the CLI:
npm install -g @playwright/cli@latest. - Open the page:
playwright-cli open https://example.com. - Capture the current page:
playwright-cli screenshot.
With no filename specified, the documented default is a timestamped file in the output directory, and PNG is the default format. Set an explicit filename when a later script expects a stable path. Use the current command help or screenshot reference for the exact optional-flag syntax supported by your installed version.
Choose capture scope and output
- Viewport: captures the visible page area.
- Full page: captures the full scrollable page, useful when the content extends below the fold.
- Element: targets a page element rather than the whole viewport; this is useful for a chart, card or other bounded region.
- Format and name: the CLI documents PNG, JPEG and WebP, plus a custom filename.
- High resolution:
--hirescaptures device pixels. The resulting image dimensions can therefore differ from CSS-pixel dimensions. If you use mouse commands with coordinates, do not assume coordinates in the high-resolution output map directly to the browser’s CSS-pixel coordinates.
Choose a browser and mode
The CLI reference lists Chrome, Firefox, WebKit and Edge as browser choices. It runs headless by default; --headed opens a visible browser. Browser availability, installation requirements and optional flags depend on the CLI version, so check the current documentation before automating a specific browser.
Playwright’s installation page lists Chromium, WebKit and Firefox support on Linux and macOS, locally or in CI, in headless or headed mode. As checked on September 29, 2026, it lists Node.js 22.x, 24.x or 26.x; macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later; and Debian 12/13 or Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 on x86-64 or arm64. These are version-specific requirements, not a promise that every later version or every Linux distribution is covered. Re-check the installation documentation when setting up a machine.
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Use Chrome Headless for a one-command capture
If Chrome is installed and a basic capture is enough, invoke its headless screenshot flag directly:
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google-chrome --headless --screenshot=page.png https://example.com
The executable name can differ by installation and operating system. If the shell reports that google-chrome is not found, locate the Chrome or Chromium executable installed on that machine and substitute its command name. Chrome’s headless reference documents --screenshot and --timeout; the timeout caps how long Chrome waits before taking the capture, even if the page is still loading. Check the reference for the precise flag syntax available in your Chrome version.
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A timeout is a ceiling, not a readiness test. A page may still have pending content when it expires, and waiting a fixed interval cannot guarantee that an animation, lazy-loaded image, consent dialog or other asynchronous component has reached the state you want. For dependable output, identify the condition that means the page is ready and use a scripted workflow that waits for that condition. Chrome’s documentation also distinguishes a browser-rendered capture from simply retrieving source with curl: the screenshot represents the rendered page, not just the original HTML response.
Use shot-scraper from Python’s command line
The shot-scraper project describes itself in its version 0.14 documentation as “A command-line utility for taking automated screenshots of websites.” Its documented quick start separates installing the Python package from installing its browser:
- Install the package:
pip install shot-scraper. - Install the browser:
shot-scraper install. - Capture a URL:
shot-scraper https://datasette.io/.
The documented example creates datasette-io.png. Because this quick-start source is release 0.14, check the project’s current documentation and installed command help before relying on additional options or assuming the example reflects the latest release.
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Make captures useful and repeatable
Decide what “ready” means
For a static page, a browser’s ordinary navigation wait may be sufficient. For a dynamic page, decide whether the capture should wait for a particular element, a known state or a controlled delay. A delay only gives the page more time; it does not establish that a specific component has finished loading. If exact readiness matters, use a scripted condition rather than treating an arbitrary pause or maximum timeout as proof.
Control the capture target
Use a viewport capture when the question is “what does a visitor see on first load?” Choose full-page capture when below-the-fold content matters, and element capture when only one component is needed. Keep the same scope, browser and viewport when comparing captures; changing these inputs can change the resulting image.
Plan filenames and image dimensions
Use a stable custom filename for automation that consumes the output. Select the image format your downstream tool accepts. If using Playwright’s high-resolution mode, account for device pixel ratio: image pixels are not necessarily CSS pixels, which matters for coordinate-based follow-up actions or image comparisons.
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Keep browser setup distinct from wrapper setup
A command-line wrapper and its browser runtime may be installed separately. Playwright’s CLI workflow includes browser installation, and shot-scraper’s quick start explicitly runs shot-scraper install after pip installation. In CI or on a fresh machine, include both steps rather than assuming installing the command alone prepares a browser.
Troubleshoot common failures
- Command not found: the package may not be installed, or its executable directory may not be on
PATH. Confirm the installation completed and use the installed command’s help. - Browser missing: installing a CLI or Python package does not always install its browser. Follow that tool’s browser-install step for the version and browser you selected.
- Capture is blank or incomplete: the page may not have reached the intended state before capture. A Chrome timeout only bounds waiting; use an explicit readiness condition in a scripted workflow when the page is dynamic.
- Full page differs from the visible viewport: that is expected when the page scrolls. Choose full-page or viewport capture deliberately rather than comparing unlike capture scopes.
- Coordinates do not match a high-resolution image: Playwright’s
--hiresoutput accounts for device pixel ratio. Treat image pixels and CSS-pixel mouse coordinates as different coordinate spaces. - Option rejected or behavior differs: command flags can change between versions. Check the current official reference and local help instead of assuming an optional flag from an older example still applies.
- shot-scraper instructions do not match your installation: the cited quick start is specifically release 0.14. Verify current project documentation for your installed release.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot in a script without installing and managing a local browser, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request API. Replace the sample URL and API key with your own values; save the response using the extension that matches the output format you request. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and whether the request was billed. An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Every feature is on every plan. See ScreenshotNeo for product details, then sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.
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Do these commands download a website’s source HTML?
No. They use a browser to render a page and capture its visual output. A screenshot is not the same thing as saving the original HTML response.
Which option is Python-based?
shot-scraper is the Python-oriented CLI in this guide. Its cited quick-start instructions are for release 0.14.
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